by Honor James
Quincy stopped what he was doing and looked to the wall. “Show me, Parker,” he said and watched as she showed him what she’d found. “What the fuck is going on?” he murmured before it hit him. “Fucking Mage is using an illusion,” he muttered, shaking his head, “We’re never going to be able to separate them as to who is who unless we can get the Mage in front of a camera and he looks at the damned thing.” A Mage’s eyes would give him away through an electronic device. Everyone knew that.
“I can. Give me a minute.” Parker closed her eyes and allowed the power that was inside of her to roll out. She pushed fully into the power and forced it. “All it takes is just the right angle,” she murmured. “There.” She breathed. “That’s the real Nate.” Twenty six miles from the original. “Oh God. He’s close to where we are,” she whispered. “Very close.”
Grabbing his comms piece Quincy sent the alert out. “All Teams, abort, abort! He’s practically on top of the base and coming in fast,” he said as he watched the one she’d targeted. “Talon, he’s got to be in Dragon form.” And because he was a changer he’d be able to see the base for what it was and not what the humans saw. Moving fast he hit a few keys on this laptop. “This is Quincy, all members on base this is a red alert, we have an incoming bogey. Civilians to general quarters, we are going into full lockdown in five minutes.” They didn’t have five but he had to give the innocent time to get to the safe areas.
“I don’t understand.” She felt both Rayne and Slade go tight beside her and looked to the two of them. “What’s happening? I know he’s coming in fast but what does red alert mean?” She felt stupid for asking that but didn’t know and didn’t think anyone would be very happy with her at the moment if she were to tap into security protocols to find out what it meant at that moment in time.
“It means the base is going onto high alert, the only one worse is a code black,” Slade murmured softly. “That means all-out war at our doorstep. In this case we have an incoming attack from a known hostile.”
“Do you boys need to go?” she asked softly. “I will be all right if you need for me to stay here with Quincy. I know that both of you need to be out there. Believe me I know that you both want to be out there and I totally understand.” She reached out to touch her bond-mates. “Go. I will be fine.”
“No,” Rayne told her, “we’re staying right here.” No way was he leaving his yet unclaimed bond-mate for any reason. He trusted Quincy completely, trusted the Dragon Guards that were just outside the door with his life, but this was his mate. He wasn’t leaving her behind.
“As long as you are sure,” Parker said and leaned back. “So what do we need to do?” she asked softly. “Do we remain here or is there anywhere else that we have to go?” She moved her hand from the tablet that Quincy had given her and leaned into the chair that her bond-mates were on each side of.
Taking her hand Slade laced their fingers together. “We’re in one of the safest places in the base,” he told her quietly. “All the interior rooms have triple-thick walls, one layer a solid foot of steel,” he said softly. “We just need to give all the civilians and noncombatants time to get to the safe areas before the lockdown is initiated. Then not even a nuclear strike could get at us,” he murmured.
“As long as you are very sure. I just need for you to be all right with where we are now. I’m perfectly happy being here as long as you are both here as well,” she admitted to Slade. Smiling she squeezed his hand. “How many people are in here with us?”
“Us, Quincy, and four of the Royal Dragon Guards,” Rayne told her from the other side as he took her other hand in his to hold. “Other than that, everyone cleared out and is outside.” Eyes on the main screen that showed the exterior cameras Rayne could see Talon standing, waiting and fairly pulsating with anger and rage.
“Why would the Royal Dragon Guards be in here?” she asked softly. “I’m not Royal. Heavens I’m just me,” she told him quietly. “So why in heaven’s name would they be in here? I can understand why Mage Guards would be here because of Quincy, but why Dragons?”
“Because mine are otherwise occupied,” Quincy said with a frown before he was typing again and rearranging cameras. “He’s a click out and slowing. He likely saw you, T-Rex,” he said into the comms. “Plus the fact that Rayne is one of Talon’s Royal Guards and you’re not yet bonded to him or Slade so your full protection is required and necessary.”
“Oh.” Parker’s eyes went wide and she sighed. “Well crap.” She tapped her fingers on the table and then asked, “Does everyone know that we haven’t bonded yet? Is it clear? I mean is it something that is stamped on our foreheads or something like that?”
“Not exactly,” Quincy answered and grinned at the growl the Dragon aimed his way. “Down, boy,” he teased with a chuckle. “For the changers there’s a change in scent that occurs after a bonding. For those of us that are magic users we see a change in auras when the bonding’s completed, a blending of sorts I suppose you could say. The Fae apparently feel a different vibration from those that are bonded. We all have our ways of knowing and none of it is a stamp on your forehead.”
“Ah, okay,” she murmured with a smile. “Well as long as it’s not something that others can clearly see because that would honestly suck. A lot.” She moved in a little closer to her bond-mates and squeezed their hands. “Thank you for being here with me, honey. Both of you, thank you for being here with me.”
“Nowhere else we’d want to be sweet,” Rayne told her, lifting her hand to kiss her fingers. “You’re ours to look after,” he murmured quietly, rubbing his lips to her knuckles gently. “Ours to love and to protect, any way at all that we can.”
“Good.” Leaning her head back she closed her eyes and felt the connection to the electronics even though she wasn’t touching them. “His Mage is using the sewers,” she murmured. “There is…” She cocked her head to the side. “There are sewer cams and one just picked him up.” She spoke so suddenly that her voice squeaked.
“Where’s he going, Parker?” Quincy asked, looking up at what she had the tablet showing up on the wall. Frowning he shook his head. “There’s almost no detail but if you can give us a clue, darling sister, maybe we can corner him.”
Focusing she whispered, “Give me what I need.” The electronics seemed to jump at her bidding. “He’s always been a brute, a monster,” she murmured. “After a beating when the scars were open he poured kosher salt on the wounds.” She was talking and not really meaning to give that information but sometimes her mind needed to separate from what the magic was trying to do. “There,” she whispered. “A bank? Why in heaven’s name would he be under a bank?”
“Money or something important,” Slade said, watching the Mage as he stopped, looked around, and seemed to check something on a piece of paper. He took out a measuring tape, moved around, measured, moved a little more, and then stopped before looking up. “He’s going for the vault,” he whispered, knowing just what the Mage was doing from his actions and the measuring. “He’s going to come up right in the vault, get what he needs, and drop right back out again with no one having any idea at all he was there.”
“Because vaults wouldn’t have in-floor sensors, not with that much concrete, right?” She assumed there would be a great deal of concrete because it would have to be reinforced to support a vault. Without her even trying, the specs of the bank and vault flew to her mind and then onto the wall. “Can he really get through five feet of concrete and three feet of steel?”
“I can,” both Slade and Quincy answered and then grinned at one another.
Rayne shook his head. “If you know what you’re doing a Mage, Sorcerer, or whatnot of the magic users can pretty much do anything. It’s all about controlling their energy, the energies around them, and bending the universe and nature to their wills while not breaking any of the natural laws or they end up batting for the dark and Chaos. And I know that because I do actually listen to you two yammer now and again,” he
shot at Slade and Quincy who were staring at him dumbly.
“Then why aren’t the banks Mage proofed?” Parker blurted. “Crap, of course they aren’t because then magic would have to be told to the world and that simply wouldn’t work.” She sighed. “Okay that would be bad. Very bad. So how do we stop it? How can it all be stopped?” she asked in horror. “We can’t let him rob that bank.”
“No we can’t,” Quincy said and stood. “Back in a couple.” He winked and slipstreamed right up behind the Mage. What he did next he was sure had the Dragons all clutching at themselves as he drove the Mage’s balls into his throat. Bending over, Quincy grinned. “Hurts like a bitch don’t it?” he asked before snapping on the cuffs that would completely neutralize the Mage. “So, wanna tell me what you were here for now or after I start hacking off little bits and pieces?”
“Fuck you.” The Mage spat the blood from his mouth. “Even if you could read me, you fucking asshole, you wouldn’t even come close to understanding.” He smiled evilly and then added, “And no I’m not fucking under your thumb, you douche. I don’t recognize your rule any more than I do Talon’s rule over the fucking Dragons.”
“Oh but you see, just because you are being influenced by Chaos, in the grand scheme of magic, I own your ass.” Quincy smiled pleasantly at him. “And those cuffs, not even Chaos can get you out of without a key or hacking your arms off. Got them from Gaia, you see, and threw in a little extra-special something I found in an ancient grimoire. So, let’s go and stick you in a nice small Chamber cell and let the Dragons do a strip search shall we.” Opening a slipstream Quincy didn’t even touch the Mage to haul him through and to the Council Chambers and their cells.
* * * *
“He’s turning,” Parker murmured. “Nate. It’s like something happened and he’s turning and going even faster away from here than he had been before.” Taking Rayne and Slade’s hands, she pulled them up to her cheeks and breathed as she “watched” the happenings. “Why would he be turning?” Even as she asked the question she knew the answer. It was because he was a coward.
“He’s a coward,” Slade said aloud. “That and his Mage didn’t get whatever it was that was needed from that vault.”
“We need to find out what was in that vault and get it ourselves before Nathaniel or someone else goes to claim it,” Rayne said quietly. “Whatever was in there obviously was going to give him an edge in the battle.”
“I could hack the bank records and figure out who has what boxes. Do you think that perhaps we could figure it out through that track?” Parker asked softly. “Because if that’s what it takes, I can and I will do it. Should be able to also catch some of the video feed for you guys to watch as well.” Since she couldn’t see it would be the only way to see who put what where.
“Start it,” Slade suggested. “But set it to record everything. Quincy can keep watch on it since I doubt it’s going to be easy to find. And unless that Mage breaks I doubt we’ll know a hundred percent for sure. Nathaniel’s been too damned careful to have been the one to walk in there. I have a feeling it wouldn’t have been the Mage either. No, I’m betting it was someone that he paid to go in, open up the safety deposit box in a name Nathaniel could later claim if necessary to get it back.”
Parker nodded and started to shift through all of the electronic information that was at her fingertips. Closing her eyes she let it pass through her and into the drive on the tablet that Quincy had and onto the wall. After nearly an hour she nodded. “It’s set to do its work on its own. I’m tired now though. I don’t think I should push anymore.”
“I think we should head home,” Rayne said, watching the security feeds as the Guards did a sweep and started to signal the all-clear. “Catch a nap, order in dinner and then, if you still want to, work on getting us all bonded tonight.”
“Is that what you want?” She had no idea who was in the room with them still but she honestly didn’t care. “To bond with me as soon as possible? Because…” She hesitated and then bit her lip. “That’s what I want.”
“Absolutely,” Slade told her quietly. “We both want to complete the bond with you, Parker, and the longer we wait the harder it gets to stay away from you. We need to complete this tonight for all our sakes,” he murmured.
“Then tonight it is. Let’s go home, have a nap, and then we will bond.” She was nervous and whispered, “What will happen in the bonding?” Likely not the right time or place to ask but she couldn’t have stopped that question had she tried.
Rayne stood and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll discuss that when we get home. Some things one doesn’t talk about in front of others.” Especially one of the most intimate things in their lives. “Let’s get going and on the drive we’ll talk about it a bit and finish it all up at the house.”
“Sounds good.” She turned her face up to her men and smiled. “Take me home please, guys?” A hand in each of their hands, their heat surrounding her, she finally felt safe and secure. “How fast can we get home?” she asked happily.
“Depends on if the cops are out or not,” Rayne said honestly. Walking her out of the building he got behind the wheel and took off once the others were all strapped in. He kept to the speed limit on base but once he was off—well, he could have flown faster, but only just.
Chapter Seven
Parker laughed when Rayne picked her up out of the vehicle and started for the house with her in his arms. Wrapping her arms around his arms she nestled up against him. “I think that I really do like you carrying me around.” It seemed both her guys seemed to have a thing with carrying her around, and she couldn’t argue it at all.
“I like having you close to my heart,” Rayne said softly. “The feel of your arms around my neck, your breasts pressed up against my chest, the heat of your skin through your clothes and your scent teasing my nose.” He breathed out, brushing a kiss to her temple.
“I think that’s just your Dragon senses, honey.” Parker’s fingers caressed over Rayne’s shoulders and she pulled even closer to him and brushed her lips to his neck. “I love it when you and Slade both press up close to me. I loved waking up in both of your arms. It was something that I needed very much.”
“You’ll have that for a very long time, darling,” he murmured softly. Taking her straight to the bedroom he settled her on the end of the bed and sat next to her. Waiting until Slade joined them he took her hand in his. “Before we bond we need you to know how this will work and how the bonding occurs for each of us.”
This was what Parker was fearing. She had a feeling that whatever Rayne and Slade had to tell her would freak her out just a bit. Biting her lower lip she nodded. “All right I’m ready. I know that we can’t do this one at a time. Slade said as much in the shower, so what happens now?”
“Now we talk,” Slade told her. “We both have to be inside of you when we all come or, if we’re not, whoever isn’t connected during the orgasm is cut out of the loop and can never mate. With two of us one will be in your pussy and the other will be in your anus. When we orgasm, you and I have to be looking at one another, and Rayne will sink his Dragon teeth into your shoulder to mark you. As a magic user my connection with you is visual so you can’t close your eyes or it won’t work and, same thing, I get tossed outside the mating bond never to mate again.”
“I’ll have to take you from behind because of that,” Rayne told her, “so that you and Slade are face to face and can keep the visual connection. But we’ll have to prepare you for us both since you’re a virgin. Unfortunately that will mean a bit of frustration for you since we can’t let you have an orgasm until we’re all connected and in place for the bonding.”
“Oh,” she whispered and chewed her lower lips. “How will that work though?” Parker whispered. “Because I can’t see. I can see your auras, I know when you are near, but I can’t see, Slade.” That had her fearful, a great deal. Tears prickled her eyes and she whispered, “What happens if it fails because I can’t see? Because I
don’t think that I would ever be whole without both of you.”
“It’s not like that,” Slade said with a frown. “As long as your eyes are open and I can see them the connection is made. Because I’m the primary magic user it’s me that has to see your eyes. Though, if rumor is true, you may have a moment where you can see me, too, right at climax. There was a male years back that had an eye condition that caused him to go blind in his teens. He met his mate, a Sorceress and, during their bonding, for a moment at climax it’s rumored that he saw her and that was enough. I can’t promise anything and if it does happen you can’t go looking around, Parker, that’s key.”
“Really? I might be able to see you?” she asked softly and smiled. “I would love that, Slade. I would love to be able to see you, if only for a moment.” She would love to see Rayne as well, but to see one, it would be remarkable. “And how do you prepare me? I mean I’ve never, and well…” Wetting her lips she added, “I’m more than a little nervous.”
“We know,” Rayne told her softly. “We’re going to bathe you first, help you to relax and we’re going to turn the heat up a little in the room so you don’t get a chill. Then we will stroke you, touch you, and slowly stretch you so that you can take us in. We’ll break your hymen ahead of time so it’s easier and less painful when Slade slides into you.”
“And you are both okay with this?” she asked quietly. “Have you done this before? Shared a woman between you?” She wasn’t jealous, just curious. She knew she had nothing to be jealous of because they were hers now and for the rest of time but she wanted to know that they at least knew what they were doing with this joining.
Slade chuckled. “No, this will be a first for us both,” he told her honestly. “But we will get you properly prepared to take us both. You just need to trust in us and know we won’t hurt you. On that note, if anything is uncomfortable you need to tell us so we can slow down. You’re my first virgin so this is a big first for me, darling.”